(1) A person shall not be in possession or control of a prohibited weapon except as authorised by the law in force in Saint Lucia.
(2) A person shall not be in possession or control of a restricted weapon except as authorised by the appropriate authority under this Act.
(3) Subject to section 23 and to section 54 a person shall not be in possession of any other firearm or ammunition without a valid licence issued under this Act. (Amended by Act 18 of 2022)
(4) A person who contravenes subsection (1), (2) or (3) commits an offence and is liable—
(a) on summary conviction, to a fine which may extend to $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term which may extend to 15 years or to both;
(b) on conviction on indictment, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to 25 years
(Substituted by Act 18 of 2022)
(5) In any prosecution for an offence under this section a person who—
(a) without reasonable excuse is in the company of a person who uses a firearm to commit any offence or an offence involving an assault or the resisting of lawful apprehension of himself or herself or any other person;
(b) has in his or her possession or under his or her control any vehicle in which is found any firearm or ammunition,
shall if the circumstances give rise to a reasonable presumption that he or she was present to aid or abet the commission of the offence, be regarded as having in his or her possession the firearm or ammunition.
(6) A person who is proved to have used or to have been in possession of a firearm or imitation firearm in any of the circumstances which constitute an offence under section 27 may be charged under this section.
(7) A person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offence under this section shall in addition to being declared a prohibited person under section 11 be liable to a fine of not less than $30,000 nor more than $50,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not less than 20 years.